This invention relates generally to monitoring valves, and more particularly to monitoring wear in seat materials of valves.
A valve is a mechanical device by which the flow of liquid, gas, or lose material in bulk may be started, stopped, or regulated by opening, shutting, or partially obstructing one or more passageways. To ensure tightness, prevent leakage, or relieve tension in a joint created by the valve and a passageway, a valve is typically fitted with seat materials, such as rubber. With repeated usage, seat materials may be worn away.
One reason seat materials may be worn away is because of the flow of liquid, gas, or lose materials in bulk. Such a flow may be at a velocity that acts like a shearing force upon the seat materials. Although the seat materials may be initially resistant to the shearing force, over time the seat materials may be weakened by the continuous presence of such a force. Another reason for the weakening of the seat materials is due to a compressive force that is provided to create the joint between the valve and the passageway. The seat materials may lose their elasticity with the continuous application of the compressive force, and over time, the seat materials will be worn away also.
Seat materials typically are worn away gradually. Thus, seat materials may continue to support the joint after the seat materials begin to wear. Current techniques, which determine when seat materials should be replaced, require a large buffer to store observations of wear in seat materials over a period of time. Such a period of time may be months or even years. It may be difficult to surmise how large a buffer must be. Current techniques have other drawbacks as well that are inflexible to changes in customers"" requirements. This may eventually lead to the lack of acceptance in the marketplace for products using those techniques.
Thus, what is needed are systems and methods to enhance the monitoring of wear in seat materials of valves.
Systems and methods for monitoring wear in seat materials of valves are discussed. An illustrative aspect includes a system for monitoring wear in seat materials of a valve. The system includes sensors to sense the open/closed status of the valve within a desired range, and a set of counters to count each time the desired range is adjusted to characterize the valve as having the open/closed status if the valve was not within the desired range. The count of a counter is indicative of wear in the seat materials of the valve.
Another illustrative aspect includes a method for monitoring wear in seat materials of a valve. The method includes setting a range of positions indicative of an open/closed status of the valve, and determining the open/closed status of the valve within the range. The method further includes adjusting adaptively the range within a desired limit so as to characterize the valve as having the open/closed status if the valve was not within the range. Each iteration of adjusting is indicative of wear in seat materials of the valve.
Another illustrative aspect includes a method for monitoring wear in seat materials of a valve. The method includes obtaining a position of the valve, processing the position that includes adjusting within a range, and notifying the open/closed status of the valve.